LEX LONDON knew a lot of things.

He knew he was a living legend.

He knew he was an idiot most of the time.

He knew he was a jerk to the people he cared about most, and he occasionally regretted that.

He knew that he was a wanted criminal.

He knew that he deserved the life sentence that the BRSS was condemning him to.

He knew that despite all their best efforts, there was no way Marshall, Jordan and Levi could get him out of his prison cell legally, and he'd accepted that fact.

He knew his mother had loved him.

He knew his brother did too, in the depths of his heart.

He knew his family was more important to him than he'd dared to admit, and that that family was more than blood.

He knew that he was a lost cause.

He knew that giving up hope was the worst possible thing to do.

He knew that no matter how things played out, he was lucky to have had met Levi, and he was grateful for that.

He knew how to hack into the toughest intelligence organizations on the planet.

He knew how to keep his keys in a place where he wouldn't lose them.

He knew how incredibly stupid the BRSS was for not having searched his pockets the first time around, and was secretly thankful for that too.

He knew where he'd he'd found his destiny.

He knew where he'd be going once he got out of this prison.

But by far the most important thing Lex London knew in that moment was one of the most simple things he knew.

He knew where he'd hidden his lockpick after he'd escaped from this cell the first time around.

- - -

"One thousand two hundred and forty-two, one thousand two hundred and fifty-two, one thousand two hundred and sixty-two--"

Lex paused for a moment as he thought to hear footsteps, canting his head to listen more carefully. After a few seconds of silence he decided he must've been imagining it, and continued counting.

"Where was I? One thousand two hundred and seventy-two, one thousand two hundred and eighty-two, one thousand two hundred and ninety-two, one thousand three hundred and twelve-- no wait, one thousand two hundred-- no, three hundred-- never mind, I give up."

He let out a soft sigh, sitting up straight on the bench and searching for something else to keep him entertained while he waited for Marshall to show up again. He felt something in his pocket, and frowned to himself.

"What have I got in my pocket?"

Well not an addictive ring that turns people invisible, I know that much.

He took the small piece of paper out of his pocket, flipping it over in his hands. He recognized it instantly, and the corners of his mouth quirked upwards in the traces of a smile.

"Well it's not a magic ring, but it's the next best thing," he mumbled to himself, putting the orange card back into his pocket.

At that moment he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching his cell, and he got to his feet to see who was approaching.

"Lex!" Jordan hissed, "it's me, Joey."

"Fantastic," Lex answered sarcastically, "in case you hadn't noticed, you already betrayed me once, you really don't have to prove yourself again."

"Ah, you found out about that," Joey rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "look-- I'm really sorry about handing you over to the BRSS, it's just that... you're supposed to be a criminal! And the very fact that I couldn't see that in you somehow only served to confirm that-- it's a downwards spiral, really. But I really am sorry, and I'm here to get you out. Marshall is keeping the officers busy--"

"Whatever happened to getting me out legally?" Lex remarked dryly.

"That plan was given up on," Joey replied with a wry smile, "they want to ship you off to Lowlands tomorrow-- this is our last chance. Anyway, we have a plan. I'm going to go up to the guards and swipe the key off them, then you shout my name or something so I have to go back to you, then I can give you the key and then I'll go back to the guards to keep them busy while you escape."

Lex raised both eyebrows.

"That's your master plan?"

Joey sighed.

"Yes, do you have a problem with it?"

"Well, kind of," Lex shrugged lightly, "I mean, first of all it's super suspicious. Secondly-- how are you planning to steal a key off those guards without them noticing? You're not a pickpocket, Joey, you're a football keeper. Granted, you're also a spy, but still. And third: where am I supposed to go once I get out of the cell? If I roam the passages aimlessly it's only a matter of time until I get caught."

"An effective squad functions as smoothly as a professional tag team," Joey mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"It's something my mentor used to tell me," he said dismissively, "she was full of all sorts of wisdom. The point I was getting at was that we have a three-person team on the case, and we'll do everything to make this operation run smoothly. I have the first leg-- I have to get you out of your cell and give you directions out of here. Marshall keeps the officers busy while you get out, and then we have a getaway driver outside that can take you someplace remote while we wait for the storm to blow over."

"That doesn't change the fact that with your plan, all the suspicion will fall on you. You'll get fired, Joey!"

"That wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen," Joey shrugged, although he seemed less nonchalant than he was trying to play off, "besides, it's not like we have any better ideas."

"Actually, I do have a better idea," Lex stated, crouching down to the floor and dusting off the bricks that made up the hard floor. He ran his fingers over the even pattern, his fingertops searching with expert rigour.

He found what he was looking for and pulled out a loose brick. In between the ants and dirt lay a small metallic object which Jordan couldn't identify. Lex picked it up, blowing off the dust and dirt reverently before putting the brick back in its place.

"What's that?" Jordan frowned.

"This, my dear friend, is a lock-slash-keysmith's best friend," Lex answered with a smirk.

"Could you drop the crypticism for a moment and answer the question?"

"It's a lockpick, Jordan."

"So you... pick locks with it?"

"Congratulations," Lex answered sarcastically, "you understand basic compound words."

Joey rolled his eyes.

"What's your point, Lex?"

"We can skip the step where you try and fail to steal the key from the guards. I can turn this into a key and escape with it. All you need to do is distract the guards for long enough-- and you mentioned directions?"

"It's pretty simple. Just take a left here, two rights, then keep going straight until you pass the men's bathroom, then take the next left and you should see some emergency exit signs-- follow those to the exit, it's simple as that. But... how long will you need to pick the lock? I can't keep the guards busy forever."

"Give me five minutes and I should be fine," Lex replied.

Jordan nodded slowly to himself.

"That... could work."

"It's more likely to work than your plan."

"Okay okay, I get it," Jordan rolled his eyes, "my plan sucked. Do you have any more criticism, or can we get this show on the road?"

"I say we get started."

"Okay then... here goes nothing. Good luck."

"Same to you."

Jordan walked off towards the guards, and Lex felt a familiar feeling of excitement bubble up inside of him.

"Alright Lex, let's not screw this up," he muttered to himself.

He set to work, years of practice guiding his hands with perfect precision. Everything was going smoothly-- one might even say perfectly --when suddenly the metal tool let out a soft snap just as the lock let out a barely audible click.

Lex opened the cell door carefully, inspecting the broken lockpick with a sigh.

"Well, at least you served a good last run," he muttered, before stuffing the lockpick into the lock and jamming it there.

There, now there's no way anyone's ever going to be able to lock that door again.

He shot one last glance at the interior of his empty cell before slipping into the passage, moving almost soundlessly. Further down the passage he could hear Jordan keeping the guards entertained, and he smiled slightly to himself.

Left, right, right, straight, left, and follow the exit signs. It's not that hard, right? 

He took a deep breath, taking the first left and moving as quickly as he could without making too much noise. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he took the right, and then the next one. The passages were all deserted-- he guessed that it was nighttime, although he had no way to tell for sure.

Then came the stretch of straight passage, and Lex froze.

Of all the times to run into Francis White, it just had to be now.

Lex slipped into a side passage, hoping that Francis hadn't seen him. He counted to twenty to calm his jittery nerves, before stepping back into the passage.

And he found himself standing face to face with the Officer of Recruitment himself, his arms crossed and his glare focused on Lex and Lex alone.

"Oh... hi Francis..." Lex smiled brazenly, "how is Magenta?"